Brazil: Court rules that gay couples can marry in Rio de Janeiro state

11 states in Brazil now allow gay couples to marry

A court ruling in Rio de Janeiro means that the state is the 11th in Brazil to recognise same-sex marriages, although there are conflicting reports about the way that the judgement will be applied.

An order to allow the civil unions of same-sex couples within the state to be considered as marriages was made by the Magistrate General of Justice of Rio, Judge Valmir de Oliveira Silva and published in the Official Gazette of the State today reports Jornal do Brasil.. Some analysts have interpreted the precedent as only applying in cities within the state where a judge also agrees with equality.